You’re standing in a dusty corridor in Marrakesh or maybe behind the neon-soaked rain of Chongqing. There’s a door. It’s locked. You’ve got a silenced Silverballer in your hand and a ticking clock in your head. Most players just aim at the handle and squeeze. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't. Why? Because Hitman 3 shooting locks isn't as straightforward as just "pointing and clicking" like you're playing a standard FPS. IO Interactive built this game with a specific set of rules for ballistic physics that most people ignore until they accidentally alert a guard three rooms away.
Honestly, the mechanics are kinda finicky.
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If you're coming from World of Assassination (WoA) as a newcomer, you might think every gun is a universal key. It isn't. In fact, if you try to pop a lock with the wrong caliber, you're just making noise and wasting lead. It's about the tool, the angle, and the specific type of door standing between you and Silent Assassin rank.
The Physics of the Hitman 3 Shooting Locks Mechanic
Let's get one thing straight: not all doors are created equal in the World of Assassination. You have your standard wooden interior doors, those heavy metal security gates, and the high-tech electronic locks found in places like the ICA Facility or Hokkaido.
Generally speaking, you can shoot open most "physical" locks. We're talking about the ones with a visible handle or a padlock. But here is where people mess up. They aim for the center of the door. Don't do that. You have to aim specifically at the lock cylinder or the padlock itself.
Wait. There's a catch.
Most pistols in the game—your standard 9mm variants—cannot actually shoot open a door lock. I know, it feels like they should. But if you're rocking a standard ICA19 or a Krugermeier, shooting the door does absolutely nothing but leave a bullet hole and a "searching" status on the nearby guards. To use the Hitman 3 shooting locks trick with a handgun, you specifically need a high-caliber pistol or a very specific technique.
The Striker and the El Matador are the kings here. These hand cannons have enough kinetic energy to blow a door off its hinges. One shot. Boom. Door open. The downside? They are loud. Like, "everyone in the building now knows you're here" loud.
Shotguns and the Master Key
If you aren't worried about stealth, the shotgun is the ultimate skeleton key. Any shotgun in the game will delete a lock instantly. It’s visceral. It’s fast. It’s also the loudest possible way to play. But in a speedrun scenario where you've already cleared the immediate area, it’s arguably the fastest way to move through a level like Dartmoor where doors are everywhere.
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The Submachine Gun "Glitch" Technique
Now, this is where things get a bit "pro-gamer." There is a long-standing mechanic—some call it a glitch, others call it a feature—where fast-firing SMGs can open doors. If you fire a rapid burst of 3-5 rounds into the lock of a door, the game's engine registers enough cumulative "impact" to trigger the opening animation.
- Equip an SMG (silenced is best).
- Aim at the lock.
- Fire a quick, controlled burst.
- Watch the door swing open.
It’s weirdly consistent once you get the rhythm down. It makes the suppressed SMGs some of the most versatile items in the game, even if they lack the "cool factor" of the sniper rifles.
Why Silenced Snipers Change Everything
If you’re a long-range specialist, you’ve probably noticed that certain sniper rifles make the Hitman 3 shooting locks process trivial. The Sieger 300 Ghost or the Hackl Leviathan aren't just for taking out targets from a kilometer away. They can be used as a "long-distance lockpick."
Think about the utility of that.
Imagine you’re on the rooftop in Chongqing. You need to get into a secure area, but there’s a guard looking right at the door. You can’t walk up and pick the lock. But if you have a silenced sniper, you can fire a single shot from across the map, pop the lock, and the door will swing open. The guard might be confused for a second, but if you're far enough away, they won't find you. It’s a niche strategy, sure, but it’s the kind of thing that separates the casual players from the experts who have 500 hours in the trilogy.
Electronic Locks and the Camera Tool
We have to talk about the "new" way of opening things that Hitman 3 introduced. While the older maps (Hitman 1 and 2) rely heavily on physical locks, Hitman 3 brought in the camera tool and electronic locks.
You cannot shoot these.
Trying to use the Hitman 3 shooting locks method on a keypad or a Tier 3 security door in the Chongqing facility is a waste of time. It won't work. For those, you're looking for vents, hacking devices, or specific dongles. It’s a bit of a shift in the gameplay loop, but it keeps the levels from feeling like you can just "blast" your way through every obstacle.
The Stealth Penalty: Is It Worth It?
Is shooting a lock actually better than using a lockpick or a crowbar? Honestly, usually not.
Lockpicking is silent. Crowbars are loud but reliable. Shooting is fast but risky. Even with a suppressed weapon, the sound of a bullet hitting a metal lock creates a "noise lure." If a guard is within 5-10 meters, they will hear the thunk of the impact. They will come to investigate. If they see a door that has been shot open, they go into a suspicious state.
However, there is one major exception: The Door Stay. When you pick a lock, the door stays closed. When you shoot a lock, the force of the bullet often swings the door wide open. If you’re trying to lure a guard into a room, shooting the lock from the inside can act as both the "lure" (the noise) and the "trap" (opening the door so they see something they shouldn't). It’s a high-level manipulation tactic used frequently in the Professional difficulty settings.
Common Misconceptions About Door Breach Mechanics
One of the biggest lies I see floating around Reddit is that you can shoot open any door if you hit it enough times. False. Some doors are "hardened." You can dump three magazines of 5.56 from an assault rifle into a heavy security door in the Mendoza wine cellar and it won't budge.
Another one? "The caliber doesn't matter." It totally does.
The game uses a hidden "piercing" or "impact" stat.
- Low Impact: .22 caliber (Krugermeier), most 9mm. (Won't open doors).
- Medium Impact: SMGs, most Assault Rifles. (Opens doors with sustained fire).
- High Impact: .45 ACP, .357 (Striker), Sniper Rifles, Shotguns. (Opens doors in 1-2 shots).
If you’re trying to be efficient, knowing these categories is the difference between a clean run and a messy shootout.
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Practical Steps for Mastering the Shot
If you want to integrate this into your playstyle, start by practicing in the ICA Facility training missions. It's a controlled environment where you can test different weapons without worrying about your rank.
- Bring the right gear. If your plan involves shooting locks, don't bring a weak pistol. Bring the ICA19 Silverballer (for accuracy) or a Custom 5MM (though the 5mm is weak, it's undetectable—not great for locks). Actually, scratch that—if you want to shoot locks, bring a suppressed SMG in your briefcase.
- Aim for the mechanism. Don't just spray the door. Look for the actual handle or the padlock. On many gates, there is a literal padlock icon. Hit that exactly.
- Check your surroundings. Before you fire, look at your mini-map. If there is a white circle near you, that guard is going to hear the bullet impact. Wait for them to move or use a different entry point.
- Understand the "Double Tap." For many doors, a single shot from an AR won't do it. You need a rapid double tap. It’s a rhythm thing. Tap-tap. The door pops.
The Hitman 3 shooting locks mechanic is a tool in your belt, not a replacement for the lockpick. It's for when you're in a rush, when you're being bold, or when you're trying to pull off a very specific type of distraction.
Next time you're stuck in front of a locked gate in Sapienza, don't immediately go hunting for a key. Look at what’s in your hand. If it’s got enough kick, you might already have the key you need. Just remember that every bullet has a sound, and every open door tells a story to the guards patrolling the hallways. Use it wisely, or don't use it at all.
To take your game to the next level, start experimenting with the "Impact" ratings of your unlocked arsenal. Take a loud Striker into a mission just once to see the raw power it has over the environment—it's a completely different way to experience the maps you thought you knew by heart. Practice the SMG burst on the wooden doors in Colorado; it's the most consistent place to learn the timing because of the high density of locked gates. Once you nail the three-round burst, you'll find yourself leaving the lockpick behind in favor of more "creative" gear slots.